1967 Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone 144,xxx SANBORN S/N
Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone, s/n 144,xxx, made in 1967. This is arguably the most desirable alto s/n that Selmer ever produced, as it was soon after the switch to the medium bow, drastically improving intonation. For this reason, many of today's top alto players prefer to play on altos produced in this s/n range, including David Sanborn and Kenny Garrett. The pads on this horn are nearly perfect, and the sax is fitted with very nice metal domed resonators. It just came back from the shop, and the only thing my tech had to do was some light pad adjustment. Everything seals absolutely perfectly and every note pops out without any effort.
Cosmetically, 93% lacquer remains. I can't say for sure whether or not this has been relacquered. If it was, then it was done extremely well, as you can see every last detail of the engraving. However, the price reflects this uncertainty. There is some evidence of a dent taken out, around the low Eb/c post, but I don't see any dents or dings which currently exist. All in all, it's a very straight horn that seems like it was well taken care of in its life.
This horn plays extremely well, and in my opinion is deserving of its extraordinary reputation. Overall, I'm struck by how homogenous the sound is between all registers on this horn. It's extremely even and easy to play up and down. This is not always the case for Mark VI's. No effort is needed to get any notes out -- they're just all there right where they should be. The sound is very fat and round. This one is up there with the very best mark VI altos you're likely to come across.
